GUAM’S ASIA CUP RUN COMES TO AN END

By Jay Leon Guerrero

Respect is not given, it is earned. Guam made its historic first appearance at the Asia Cup and advanced from Pool B, earning a chance at the final 8 for the tournament.

However, a strong South Korean team, who finished second in their pool, stood in their way. Adding to the challenge, starters Tai Wesley and Jericho Cruz were unfortunately unable to play.

Despite being shorthanded with only eight players on the roster, Guam played hard. Korea’s deep bench ultimately pulled away in the third quarter, ending the game with a final score of 99-66.

“I’m incredibly proud of our players and our entire program,” head coach EJ Calvo said. “Competing at the FIBA Asia Cup for the first time in Guam’s history — and earning a historic win against Syria to advance to the playoffs ahead of four other nations — was a priceless experience. We proved that Guam belongs on this stage. This tournament has elevated our standard, and we’re committed to coming back even stronger, better prepared, and ready to build on this success in the future.”

Guam had a strong start, opening the contest with a 16-6 lead, thanks to early scoring from Takumi Simon and Mark Johnson Jr. Guam was on fire early, while Korea began the game shooting 0-10 from beyond the arc.

Korea continued to fire away, and their shots eventually started to fall in the second quarter, allowing them to take a 50-28 lead. Korea maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half and eventually cleared their bench in the final period.

Alexander Kamai led the team in scoring with 19 points. Takumi Simon had the hot hand early and finished with 15 points, while Mark Johnson Jr. contributed 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists for Guam.

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